Apparatus for printing colored patterns on plush fabrics or the like



A. GGRNER Sept. 1, 1931.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING COLORED PATTERNS ON PLUSH FABRICS OR THE LIKE W T r m T m m w T 3 .A. GC'jRNER APPARATUS FOR PRINTING COLORED PATTERNS ON PLUSH FABRICS OR THE LIKE Filed June 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jm/entor (7 6'o'Ar/1/7e Fatented fiept. i, 131

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PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR GijRNER, OF GREFRATH, NEAR KR-EFELD, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM:

rm'iscrrwnnnnn r KREFELD', GANY GREFRATH AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT,

OF GREFRATH, NEAR APPARATUS FOR YRINTI NG COLORED PATTERNS ON PLUSH FABRICS OR THE LIKE Application filed June 28, 1928, Serial No. 288,897, and in Germany July 1, 1927.

My invention relates to the art of printing patterns in color on plush fabrics or the like by aid of stencils of permeable fabric on which the pattern is formed by a layer of impermeable material, for example, lacquer, applied thereto.

It was the practice heretofore to resort to the use of means provided for forcing the color through the stencil into the fabric to be printed. For example, the color was rubbed or brushed through the stencil by the use of crayons or brushes. It was also known to cause the color to be sucked by means of nozzles through the fabric to be printed.

The present invention provides for eifecting the suction action without resort to the use of such devices.

According to my invention the stencil of yielding material is pressed on the plus web or the like to be printed and after the stencil gaps have been fully covered by pushing a mass of color thereover so as to constitute an airtight seal the stencil is stripped from the web so that a partial vacuum is set up in the space between the stencil and the web. This partial vacuum is sufficient to effect the suction of the color through the stencil whereby the fabric is uniformly printed.

The explanation appears to be that the films of color formed in the meshes of the stencil fabric have such a tenacity that a substantial pressure drop must be established beneath the stencil before the films give way. At the moment when the films give way the outer atmosphere rushes through the meshes of the stencil fabric and drives the "color in finely distributed form deeply into the fabric.

.In order to prevent the atmosphere from passing beneath the fabric web into the region of sub-atmospheric pressure instead of through the stencil, according, to a further feature of the invention the web is caused to adhere for the duration of the printing operation to an impermeable support, for example, an endless rubber belt, the adhesion between the Web and the support being greater than that between the web and the stencil.

In order to seal the stencil air-tightly and to press the stencil on the fabric web the color is pushed to and fro over the stencil by aid the fabric'web during the printing operation.

Fig. 4c shows diagrammatically in section a plush fabric aflixed to a support beneath a stencil.

Figs. 5 and 6 show, respectively, in vertical section and'in elevation another form of device for pushing the color over the stencil.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine frame 1 carries printing tables 2 over which is fed intermittently the web 35 to be printed. The feed of the web is effected by spiked rollers 3 actuated by means not shown in the drawing. The stencil 4 is fitted in a frame 5 of angle iron guided for up and down vertical movement by pins 6 secured to the machine frame. The lifting of the stencil frame 5 is effected by cams 7 which are actuated by chains 8 and chain Wheels 9 and engaging follower rollers 10 fitted to the stencil frame. The pusher 11 for pushing the body of color is mounted in holders 12 which are rigidly connected by a rod 13. The rod 13 carries at its ends rollers 14. (or lateral projections) which, towards the ends of the excursion of the pusher, run on inclined rails 15 and thereby lift the pusher 11 from the stencil. The rails 15 are mounted for tilting movement so that after the rollers 14 have passed beyond the pivotal axis of the rails 15 the rails are tilted to clear the rollers on the return movement of the pusher and the pusher which was behind the body of color shown at 16 and has stepped over the same is again lowered on to I the stencil. The travel of the pusher is effected by a carriage 17 having wheels 18 which run on the frame 5, the said carriage' being guided by "a cross rod 19 traversing slots 20 in the holders 12, the rod 13 mounted in slots 21 in the carriage entraining the pusher in its movement. The reciprocatory movement of the carriage is derived from two rock levers 23 fulcrumed at 22. These levers receive their rocking movement from cams 24 engaging follower rollers 25 on the levers, said cams 24 being actuated from the main shaft of the machine by means not shown in the drawings. The free ends of the levers 23 are connected with the ends of a chain 26 engaging a chain wheel 27. The cams 24 are relatively angularly displaced, so that with a suitable length of the chain 26 the levers 23 are maintained positively in engagement with the cams 24. Oscillatory movement of the chain wheel 27 effected by the levers 23 is transmitted through a shaft 28 and throu h gears 29, 30 to the shaft 31 and through t e chain wheel 32 and the chain 33 to the car riage 17. The number of reciprocatory movements of the carriage effected after each feeding movement of the fabric Web depends on the number of tappets on the cams 24. The cams 24 and 7 are so adjusted relatively to one another and t0 the actuating means for the spiked rollers that the carriage is reciprocatedwhen the web is at rest and the stencils-are lifted from the fabric web shortly before the commencement of the feeding movement of the fabric.

In the machine shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3 the plush web is supported by an endless belt 54 wrapping pulleys 49 and intermittently moved above the printing table 42 carried by the machine frame 41. The endless belt is tensioned in known manner by means of a tension pulley 51 located between two stationary guide pulleys 50. Above the upper flight of the belt there is mounted near one of the pulleys 49a receptacle 52 for adhesive. The base of this receptacle 52 is pro- ..vided with openings 53 through which adhesive is fed and applied to the belt by means of a scraper or a brush 60. The web is guided over a roller 47 to the printing machine. Before it passes beneath the first stencil it is led together with the belt 54 between two opposed pressure rollers 55 and 56 so that it is caused to adhere to the belt 54. By pushing the body F of coloring material by means of a pusher 57 over the stencil the coloring material is spread on the stencil and the latter pressed on the web so that the upper side of the web is sealed. On suddenly stripping off the stencil there will thus be set up a partial vacuum beneath the stencil whereby the coloring medium is sucked into the fabric. After the fabric has left the last stencil it is released from the endless belt by means of a wedge 59 or otherwise, and led away over the pulley 58. 46 denotes guide pins for guiding the stencil frame.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 there are provided on both sides of the stencil frame two rails 66 on which as in the first described embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is mounted to travel a carriage for the pusher. The carriage comprises two brackets 67 connected by means of cross bars 68 and 69 and held at the required distance apart. Secured to the adjacent sides of the brackets 67. are plates 7 O which serve as guides for the two pushers 71a, and 71b for applying the coloring material to the stenoil and which for this purpose are provided with projections 70a, 70 0-7Of and 70g between which are led the pushers 71a and 71b. The projections 70a, TOb-are so formed that the pushers 71a and 71b readily slide between them and can also be swung upwardly notwithstanding their curved configuration. The cross bar 68 is mounted rotatably in the brackets 67 and carries at each end a three-armed lever. The downwardly directed arm 720 of this lever is engaged by the chain 7 3 for propelling the carriage while the two other arms 72a and 72b engage rollers 74a, 74?) carried by the pushers 71a, 716. As soon as the carriage reaches one end position and the direction of move ment of the driving chain 73 is reversed, the three-armed lever is rocked in the direction in which the chain pulls on the same, so that the pusher which has been operative, for example the pusher 71Z), is lifted from the stencil and the other pusher is lowered on the stencil 64 behind the mass F of coloring material considered in the direction of the movement of the carriage about to commence. The same operation is repeated on each reversal of the direction of movement of the carriage.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a device for printing colored patterns on plush and like fabrics, a stencil or permeable fabric, means for spreading the coloring material over the entire surface of said stencil and simultaneously exerting a pressure upon said stencil to thereby create an air-tight seal between the stencil and web to be colored, means for abruptly stripping the stencil from the web to be colored, an impermeablesupport for the web to be colored, and means for applying an adhesive between said support and said web, said adhesive havin the characteristic of creating an adhesion between the web and support which is greater than the adhesion between the stencil and web created by the air-tight seal.

2. In a device for printing colored patterns on plush and like fabrics, a stencil of permeable fabric, means-for spreading the colaaanaoa created by the air-tight seal, and means for movin said support in conjunction with the we to be colored.

3. In a device for printing colored patterns on plush and like fabrics, including a stencil of permeable fabric, means for spreading coloring material over the entire surface of the stencil and simultaneously exerting a pressure upon the stencil to thereby create an air-tight seal between the stencil and the web to be treated, means for abruptly stripping the stencil from the web to set up a partial vacuum between the stencil and web, the color spreading means including a pair of pushers spaced apart, means to create alternate movement of the pushers toward and from the stencil, means for moving the pushers over the entire surface of the stencil, and means for controlling the alternate vertical movement of the pushers to insure that one of the pushers will be at all times located in rear of the body of coloring material considered in the direction of the color spreading movement of the pushers.

4. A device for printing colored patterns on plush and like fabrics including a stencil of permeable fabric, means forvspreading the coloring material over the entire surface of said stencil and simultaneously exerting a pressure on the stencil to thereby create an air-tight seal between the stencil and fabric to be treated, means for sealing the surface of the fabric remote from the stencil to prevent the passage of air therethrough, and means whereby the stencil may be abruptly stripped from the fabric.

ARTHUR eonnnn. 

